Hayya, said in a pre-recorded speech on Thursday the group had not rejected the latest U.S. proposal for a ceasefire with Israel but demanded changes that would secure the end of the war in the enclave.

Israeli officials say around 1,200 people were killed in the surprise Palestinian assault and 251 taken hostages, 58 of are believed to still be in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has estimated that more than 54,600 people have been killed amid the Israeli operations that ensued.

Earlier on Thursday, the bodies of Judith Weinstein Haggai and her husband, Gadi Haggai, were recovered by the military. They held Canadian and American citizenships.

A judge has issued a temporary restraining order ruling that the Trump administration cannot bar international students at Harvard from entering the U.S.

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's move to revoke Harvard's visa program, halting a plan critics say could jeopardize international students and escalate court battles.

This week, a federal judge sided with Harvard in one of its two lawsuits, blocking an order by President Trump to prevent international students from enrolling.